Why A Majority Of Americans Cannot Stop The Iraq War

What kind of political system do we have in this country anyway? Let's see. It's not a simple or "direct" democracy. If it were, a majority of voters could simply vote to end the Iraq occupation and bring the troops home. That's what a majority of Americans prefer, according to polls. But we can't do that because what we have in the U. S. is "representative" democracy. That means that we do get to vote but we vote for representatives who do the actual governing. In principle, this is a good plan because it can put a brake on some of the excesses of simple majorities. Remember the conundrum of majority rule vs. minority rights. Representative democracy is supposed to provide a fix for that problem. That is, provided the representative system is untainted by money, power grabs, and corruption, and that's where we in this country have a serious breakdown of the system. We remain mired in Iraq because it is in the best interests of the powerful, corrupt, monied political players that we "stay the course." The corporate interests and the special interest lobbyists, who are so pivotal in electing our representatives, combined with the entrenched military-industrial complex, all feed off the war and a host of other public policies (e.g., no national health care, etc.) that are against the best interests of the American people. We're seemingly powerless to change this situation because the American public is so easily manipulated. Just look at how Bush continues to move the goal post for success in Iraq. In the Spring it was September, and now, post Patreaus' September report, it's next Spring, maybe. The American public is powerless to stop this war because we have a broken political system. We're powerless to affect public policies across the board. There are fixes that have been proposed that hold out the promise of reform, but once again, the established powerful interests block or mitigate them. We find ourselves in real difficulty with a government that is unresponsive to the needs and wants of its citizens.

Jim

A Soldier Asks Why Are We in Iraq?

Photo: A quiet moment in "downtown" Cherry Grove.

It's the day after a really beautiful holiday weekend here in Cherry Grove. By all accounts, it was a busy weekend for the business community with bars and restaurants hopping. Dan and I joined our good friend Ed for dinner at Jumpin' Jacks on the beach Monday evening. It was busy and our waitress indicated that she had been kept real busy all weekend. I guess this is a good thing, although I feel as though we're overwhelmed here at times by the crowds. As far as I know everyone had a good time and no one was hurt.

I just read an essay written by a soldier serving in Iraq. This articulate young man questions our reasons for being on Iraq:

My name is Donald Hudson Jr. I have been serving our country’s military actively for the last three years. I am currently deployed to Baghdad on Forward Operating Base Loyalty, where I have been for the last four and a half months. I came here as part of the first wave of this so called "troop surge", but so far it has effectively done nothing to quell insurgent violence. I have seen the rise in violence between the Sunni and Shiite. This country is in the middle of a civil war that has been on going since the seventh century. Why are we here
when this country still to date does not want us here? Why does our president’s
personal agenda consume him so much, that he can not pay attention to what is
really going on here?

Read the rest of Donald's essay here.

I hope he stays out of harm's way and that he pays no price for his forthrightness. Because there are no good answers to the questions he raises, I'd like to get him out of Iraq and bring him and his fellow servicemen and service women home NOW.

Jim

Cheney In Iraq

8:30 AM: Well, this morning I saw a photograph of Vice President Dick Cheney getting off a helicopter in Iraq. He is there for a "surprise" visit. That's the only kind of visit he can make. He can't announce he's coming for obvious reasons. Even so, he had on this bullet proof vest that made him look like an NFL linebacker. Meanwhile, talking heads this morning were discussing the inevitability of a U.S. pullout, and the likelihood that even Republicans in congress will abandon Bush in the Fall if there is no progress with"The Surge." So, if you are a soldier fighting in Iraq, or a family member of one, how must you feel about the Iraq war?

I'm still stuck with an old computer and dialup out here on Fire Island. I'm working on a solution and hopefully I'll be able to get back online with a wireless high speed connection before long. I miss not being able to post pictures easily. Yesterday the dog and I found some lovely sand castles on the beach that were created by some high school students from Long Island. It must have been a senior trip to the beach for a day. I took some photos and I'll post them when I'm able.

The Island and Cherry Grove are finally awakening after the long, cold winter. The pizza parlor and the grocery store are open in the Grove, and Ms. Skinner has the post office open as well. This morning was foggy with lots of dew on everything, but it's burning off now. Time to get out for a morning walk.

Jim